Penguins Sign Sidney Crosby to 12-Year Deal

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced they have signed center Sidney Crosby to a 12-year contract extension worth $104.4 million.  The deal will average out to $8.7 million per season.  He would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer and still has one more year left on his current contract.  The new deal will officially be signed on July 1, 2012.  In just 22 games last season, he had eight goals and 29 assists for 37 points.  He missed 60 games last season with post concussion symptoms, which caused him to miss much of the 2010-11 season as well.  This deal comes as no surprise, as the Penguins wanted to get their franchise player locked-up long-term.  Crosby is one of the most complete players in the NHL today, as he has superb vision on the ice and can read and anticipate the play very well.  He has outstanding offensive instincts and has some of the most impressive passing skills in the league today.  He leads by example, plays with some grit, and is a very quick skater.  Concussions have become a problem for him now, which the team will have to monitor for the rest of his career.  Despite the concussion issues, Crosby will continue to help make the Penguins a very competitive team throughout his career.